1. Technical Field
This invention relates to multidimensional presentation of data in a two dimensional user interface. More specifically, the invention relates to manipulating the data to expand the presentation for three or more dimensions of data in the two dimensional user interface.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Scatter diagrams and cross tabulation tables are known in the art for presenting and analyzing multidimensional data. A scatter diagram is a graph used in statistics to visually display and compare two or more sets of related quantitative, or numerical, data by displaying only finitely many points, each having a coordinate on a horizontal and a vertical axis. With respect to analyzing multidimensional data, the form of presenting multidimensional data has been limited to that based on a cross section defined by two dimensions selected from multiple dimensions. For example, the level of detail in a certain dimension is changed using drill-up and drill-down functions, wherein two dimensions are selected from multiple dimensions and the horizontal and vertical axes are interchanged using slice and dice functions. However, the presentation of the multidimensional data is limited to a cross section defined by two dimensions from multiple dimensions. Accordingly, with the limitations of the prior art it has been difficult to see correlations between other dimensions.
In addition, data analysis in general is an acquired and specialized skill. Two separate roles exists in data analysis, including a data analyst who analyzes data and a salesperson who uses and benefits from the result of the data analysis. The data analyst serves the role between the original data and the salesperson. The separation of the roles reduces the ability for a quick response to a change in the data. With changes in technology and an increase in the speed of communication, it is desirable to modify the data analysis and make it more intuitive so that a person other than the data analyst, such as the salesperson, can respond quickly to changes in data.
Therefore, there is a need for data analysis and presentation that supports intuitive manipulation of data. The presentation of data should support presentation of multiple data dimensions in a two dimensional format.